On Tue, 25 Nov 1997 13:07:48 -0600 Robert Allen <boballen@sky.net>
writes:
>Bill Eastman wrote:
>
>So, what MG
>> is generally regarded as their styling high water mark? That's
>right, our
>> own favorite "Bob Allen certified performance bimbo," the MGA!
Hear! Hear!
>The 'A' ain't ever coming back, Bill, so get over it.
Did he say it was? I guess I missed that part. It did come back for a
while. A few years ago a fellow reproduced the MGA body in fiberglass
on a real MGA chassis. He put a Toyota twin cam engine in it. It got a
pretty good review in Sports Car International-- went like the wind. One
picture showed him standing on the scuttle to demonstrate the strength of
the body. From the exterior, the car was much harder to distinguish from
the real thing than the VW/TD kits.
> It is a great car to look at but its too narrow, has limited legroom,
poor >egronomics, no weather protection, a ludicrous trunk (boot),
Gee, is this the same guy that said (approximately 50 nanoseconds
earlier): " I would define a Sports Car as fun to drive, simple in
execution, and uncomprimising [sic] in its mission. And that doens't
[sic] mean 'fun to steer'. It means a car that is fun to drive
aggressviely [sic]..." But it does mean it has lots of legroom, a big
trunk, and great weather protection? Hmmm. Color me confused.
>One reason is because all you guys are biggoted assholes.
>Sorry. Maybe I can think of some way to gloss that over...
Please do.
>We have way too much snobbery within the Marque.
Evidenced by certain people calling everybody else "bigoted assholes."
>How much infighting do you see just among Midget, 'A', 'B' and 'T'
series
>owners?
None here in Houston. We may tease each other good-naturedly, just as we
do the Triumph owners (and vice-versa), but we still wave at each other
going down the street. We also admire each others' cars at joint outings
(which DO happen) and All British Car Days, etc. In many cases, we own a
couple of types.
>Around here we have an 'A' club and an 'MG' club and we rarely
intermingle.
Sounds like a local problem, probably due to certain personalities (too
many bigoted assholes, I'm sure). The Dallas MGA club and T-series club
(and I was a member of both) intermingled so much that the clubs merged
and brought in the B's for good measure. The Houston Club has been an
"integrated" club since inception 25 years ago.
> Altogether, there could easily be a 500+ All British car club here in
Kansas City >but, incredibly, the members would have little in common.
Why is that so incredible? The members of the local MG club don't have a
lot in common except the fact that we all own MG's. Even that connection
gets a bit stretched when you consider how little in common a 75 year old
grandparent owning a MGTC has in common with a GenX college student
owning a 1976 MGB V8 conversion (both of which seem to coexist quite
nicely in our club). As you point out, people buy different marques for
different reasons, as was true when the cars were new. I have a lot more
in common with a guy who owns a ratty B that likes to drive it than I do
with a Jaguar owner that likes to polish it.
>The thought of a "British Car Club" that would promote all the marquees
is
>hopeless.... Now what is going to tie things togther for the betterment
of the >movemnet? Nothing I can see.
>
>The British Sports Car movement is comatose and the prognosis is not
good. The
>clubs lack volunterrism, there is way too much infighting, and this
seems to be
>a free-for-all for "If you're not gonna do it my way I'll just run off
in a
>snit..."
You bigoted assholes, you.
>So, no, the British Car hobby lacks the backbone to ever influence the
design
>of a new car and I don't see anything changing. The only hope would be
bringing
>back the peices that are reproduceable today and assembling a car that
people
>would buy.
Of course not. The idea that there is, or should be, or could be a
"British Car movement" is rather silly. Can you imagine a "German Car
movement?" Would you expect the Porsche owners, Mercedes owners, Audi
owners, and VW owners to get together to influence the next design that
(pick a German manufacturer) comes out with? Even if you only asked 911,
450SL, Audi TT, and Karmann Ghia owners?
You are right, the prognosis for the "British Car movement" is not good.
In fact, it's DOA. However, the MG clubs are alive and well and stronger
than ever. Witness MG '96 and look forward to MG '01. I can't speak for
the various other British marques, but I don't see them hurting for
members, either.
Cheer up, Bob, although Kansas City may be a slimy cesspool of marque
in-fighting and secret Jaguar envy, things are much better (and more fun,
apparently) elsewhere.
David Littlefield
Houston, TX
" all you guys are biggoted [sic] assholes." -- Bob Allen 11/25/97
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